Senior Satellite Design Engineer

Senior Satellite Design Engineer | SpinLaunch

U.S. Citizen or Green Card holder required (ITAR compliance)

Join and help redefine the future of satellite communications.

SpinLaunch is building Meridian , a next-generation broadband satellite constellation utilizing breakthrough antenna technology and innovative satellite architectures to reshape global connectivity. We are looking for a Senior Satellite Design Engineer to own the satellite design process from architecture through production and help scale a rapidly growing engineering organization.

Location

Long Beach, California (On-site – 5 days/week)

Relocation support available

Compensation

• Base Salary: $140K+
• Competitive Equity Package
• Full-Time Position

About the Role

This is a rare opportunity to join a high-impact new-space company as a key technical leader shaping the future of the Meridian satellite constellation. You will take ownership of satellite-level architecture, manufacturing strategy, qualification processes, and deployment planning while working closely with leadership, vendors, and engineering teams.

We are looking for someone who has successfully contributed to modern satellite constellation programs and understands how to take satellites from concept through build, testing, qualification, and production scaling.

Responsibilities

• Own and finalize the full satellite design for the Meridian constellation
• Lead architecture trade studies, cost optimization, vendor selection, and risk mitigation
• Define manufacturing, qualification, and testing strategies for scalable production
• Drive technical execution across power, thermal, avionics, structures, and communications subsystems
• Adapt satellite architectures around proprietary payload and antenna technologies
• Provide technical direction to engineering teams, subcontractors, and vendors
• Support program execution from design through manufacturing and deployment
• Help establish scalable satellite production methodologies for future growth

✅ Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in satellite systems design/development
• Experience working on LEO constellation or modern smallsat programs
• Strong systems-level understanding across:
• Power Systems
• Thermal Systems
• Structures
• Avionics
• Communications/RF Systems
• Experience taking satellites from design into build, test, qualification, or production scaling
• Leadership experience on at least one satellite program
• Proficiency in MATLAB, Python, Excel, or similar modeling tools
• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Electrical, Mechanical, Systems Engineering, Physics, or related field

Preferred Background

Ideal candidates may come from organizations such as:

• SpaceX / Starlink
• OneWeb
• Rocket Lab
• Planet Labs
• Blue Origin
• Astranis
• Terran Orbital
• Loft Orbital
• York Space Systems

Candidates with strong commercial new-space experience and high-volume satellite manufacturing backgrounds are highly preferred.

⚠️ Additional Requirements

• Must be able to work on-site in Long Beach, CA
• Relocation support available
• Visa sponsorship unavailable

Why Join SpinLaunch?

• Work on revolutionary satellite technologies and architectures
• Join a fast-growing, high-impact engineering team
• Opportunity to grow from individual contributor into technical leadership
• Direct influence on next-generation global connectivity infrastructure
• Competitive compensation + meaningful equity upside

Satellite Systems Engineer, Space Systems Engineer, Spacecraft Systems Engineer, LEO Constellation, Smallsat, Satellite Manufacturing, Satellite Qualification, Spacecraft Integration, RF Communications, Payload Integration, MATLAB, Python, Production Scaling, Satellite Architecture, Satellite Deployment, Starlink, SpaceX, OneWeb, Planet Labs, Rocket Lab